Before you pop that question…

Every guy wants to propose to their girlfriend in a memorable way. This leads to men trying some extravagant and stupid stunts. Sometimes they work, but sometimes they don’t. Here are a few things to think about before you go jumping out of an airplane to profess your love, only to find out you’ve forgotten the parachute.

Make sure it’s safe

People love proposing on the beach, but that could lead to some pretty unfortunate outcomes, like being swept out to sea, encountering a band of pirates, or killing over 60 turtles. That was the case for man on Hilton Head Island, who made a giant heart out of 150 luminarias, which are bags with lit candles placed inside, then left them on the beach after he had successfully proposed to his girlfriend.  Unbeknownst to the couple, a group of turtle hatchlings saw the lights and became disoriented, leading to their death.  Talk about a mood killer.

Hide the ring. Really well.

Probably the most common trick in the book is hiding the ring somewhere they would never expect it. As it turns out, you don’t need to worry about your girlfriend finding the ring as much as airport security. This was true for a man who several years ago, was stopped by airport security because they found a suspicious dark box in his carry on luggage. Turns out it was an engagement ring that he was going to surprise his then girlfriend with during a cruise in the Caribbean. Instead, he decided to propose to her right there.  She said yes, but wouldn’t you rather pop the question in paradise, rather than the 7^th circle of hell?

And finally–Be sure she loves you back

This may sound a bit obvious, but it’s something to think about, especially if you’re going to propose  with a tungsten ring in public. Or on live TV, like this guy: